Propus 620: My upgrade plan

[sirelk]

Wow... I feel I have been schooled (to death!) concerning psu's. It's like watching 2 lawyers go at it during a heated murder trial.

I was thinking about my needs for this new rig and I have come to the conclusion:

-I won't be seeking a sli configuration (the gains are nominal in most games and the heat production isn't worth it in my opinion).
-I don't see the real benefit in going to DDR3 at this time since the performance isn't showing great gains over DDR2 (from what reviews I've read).
-I've never been a true "power gamer", but I just once wanted to know I had a powerful beast at my disposal (and the prices allow for that at this time).'
-My current rig hasn't changed over the 2.5 years I've had it except for the addition of 1 gig of ram and a dvd-dl burner. I don't see myself needing a major or semi-major upgrade before another 2.5 years passes. By then we'll probably have drastically different cpu's that will require a whole new board, nano technology robots will be on shelves at Wal-Mart, war with China will be slogging along, and who knows what else?

I'm going to play with the configuration, but still have the Propus 620 cpu as the core of the upgrade.

I want to keep my price closer to $400 and possibly under (that's after rebates). Although the suggestion about the going from the 4870 to the 4890 is intriguing considering the power consumption differences. Keep in mind, this computer will be powered for no more than 30-60 hours a week based on my normal usage patterns.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Phenom 720BE / Gigabyte 770T-UD3P AM3: $179 ($169 AR)

At a minimum you should not discount the Gigabyte 770T-UD3P AM3 with the Propus 620 ---- AM3 is where you want to be going forward.

The mid tower APEX PC-389-C is $30 with free shipping (note: no case fan). I posted this because the mATX Apex case you selected was $43 with shipping for me.

There are some DDR3 kits --- like this Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 ---- that are qualified for that Gigabyte mobo starting around $75.

 

[deimos3428]

Your system configuration looks good, with the possible exception of the PSU. I'm running a similar configuration (Phenom II X3 710 + 4870) and you won't need more than 500W. Pay a little extra and get a high-quality unit, regardless of the wattage you settle upon. For reference I'm using an Antec Earthwatts 500, which is probably over-priced but performs very well.

 

[sirelk]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
At a minimum you should not discount the Gigabyte 770T-UD3P AM3 with the Propus 620 ---- AM3 is where you want to be going forward.

I wonder how the 770 benches compared to 785g and 790 chipsets?

I'm pretty solid on sticking with the Propus 620.

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
The mid tower APEX PC-389-C is $30 with free shipping (note: no case fan). I posted this because the mATX Apex case you selected was $43 with shipping for me.

I like the case you picked out. It has the power and reset, as well as the usb/audio ports at the top of the case. I have my case on the floor so this would work out nicely.

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
There are some DDR3 kits --- like this Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 ---- that are qualified for that Gigabyte mobo starting around $75.

As I mentioned earlier, I probably won't upgrade my rig for another 2.5 years (and this upgrade will be quite a leap compared to my last upgrade). I'm not completely sold on DDR3, but maybe I haven't been reading the right reviews.

 

[v8envy]

FWIW, the Antec PSU calculator puts my machine (i7 @ 3.5 ghz, 4 fans, 2x HD, 1x optical, 2 USB devices, 8800GT, 6G ram) at 300 watts. It's running great and does not seem to be stressing the EA 500 PSU I recycled from last year's build in the least. With a 4890 counterbalanced by a less power hungry CPU I don't see a need for more than a 550 watt or so PSU so long as most of that is coming from 12v. 700 is definite overkill if you're not planning on multi-GPU.

DDR3 is not going anywhere; it's quite likely you'll be able to recycle DDR3 in 2.5 years or so. If your board or ram get damaged/crap out in a year it'll cost you more to source obsolete components. Just look at how much DDR1 RAM or socket 939 parts cost in the last 2 years or so.

OTOH, at the moment you can get DDR2 for nearly free. So it's not a terrible idea to just get it and throw it away if need be.

 

[sirelk]

PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS420X 420W ATX12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Would this PSU be too underpowered for my rig plans?

and...

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC

Would this one be too overpowered?

 

[rogue1979]

I think the first power supply will work just fine. I used two 370-watt versions of the PC Power @ Cooling Silencer to run overclocked C2D rigs with 8800/9800GT's and they easily handled the load.

I used that same Apex case with a few mods. The front 120mm doesn't have much airflow through the front of the case. Cut an 80mm hole in the bottom front and put a black grill there. Cut a 120mm whole on the side underneath the higher existing 80mm. Again a black grill. Cut out the back 90mm exhaust and put another grill there.

All fans are running 5 or 7 volts, very quiet and excellent cooling.

 

[sirelk]

Originally posted by: rogue1979
I used that same Apex case with a few mods. The front 120mm doesn't have much airflow through the front of the case. Cut an 80mm hole in the bottom front and put a black grill there. Cut a 120mm whole on the side underneath the higher existing 80mm. Again a black grill. Cut out the back 90mm exhaust and put another grill there.

Which case are you speaking of? The one from the op (with the handle on top) or the one more recently discussed?

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Originally posted by: sirelk
PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS420X 420W ATX12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

Would this PSU be too underpowered for my rig plans?

and...

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC

Would this one be too overpowered?

Nope, neither are underpowered.

You don't need to get a 700W PSU, either, and I do suggest you not get the StealthXStream. While it is not a bad unit at all (and it's much better than many other units), you at most only need to get something in the 500W range. Since you've made it obvious you don't upgrade often, an 80 Plus certified 400-550W PSU is all you'll ever need. I know you can find a unit like this cheaper than OCZ 700W.

 

[sirelk]

Originally posted by: cusideabelincoln
You don't need to get a 700W PSU, either, and I do suggest you not get the StealthXStream. While it is not a bad unit at all (and it's much better than many other units), you at most only need to get something in the 500W range. Since you've made it obvious you don't upgrade often, an 80 Plus certified 400-550W PSU is all you'll ever need. I know you can find a unit like this cheaper than OCZ 700W.

Rosewill Green Series RG530-2 530W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS Certified,ATX12V v2.3 & EPS12V v2.91, SLI Ready,CrossFire Ready,Active PFC "Compatible with Core i7" Power Supply

I think I found a winner.

 

[sirelk]

Rosewill R223-P-BK Black Computer Case $19 (plus $10 off code)

Rosewill Green Series RG530-2 530W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS Certified,Active PFC Rosewill RG530-2 530W "Compatible with Core i7" Power Supply $54.99

AMD Athlon II X4 620 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor $99

ASUS Radeon HD 4870 EAH4870 DK/HTDI/1GD5 Video Card $159.99 (minus $20 mail-in rebate)

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Combo with Gigabyte mb for $136.98 (minus $20 mail-in rebate)

Rosewill RFA-120-RL 4 Red LEDs LED Case Fan $4.99 + $5.99 shipping

Total up front cost is $471.93 and after rebates it will be $431.93

I think this is what I'm going to go with. The only thing I'm hesitant about is the vid card, I could see taking that out and waiting till October for a price dip. But then I may just delay the whole thing.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Open Box item?

 

[rogue1979]

Originally posted by: sirelk

Which case are you speaking of? The one from the op (with the handle on top) or the one more recently discussed?

The one in your original post

 

[sirelk]

Speaking of open box. I can get an Asus 4870 for $111 + shipping or an Asus 4890 for $147 + shipping. Hrmmm.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

The 4890 is 15% faster than the 4870. Is that improvement worth the extra cash to you?

 

[sirelk]

Well I got close to making the final purchase last night, but something inside me said to hold off. So I lost out on a few timely deals; I'll pull back and go into a holding pattern on this upgrade.

When I started out, I wanted to do the upgrade (the article about the Propus 620 got me going), but only if I could get everything just under $400. With the new ATI cards coming out in October and the way my bank account is currently... I'll just keep my eye out and see what happens with prices.

Thank you to everyone for their input.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I'm sure people have mentioned it, but 700 watts is way over kill. Save some money and buy a 500watt quality psu

 

[sirelk]

I just wanted to give an update. I considered the advice that everyone shared and finally sealed the deal by purchasing the following today:

2 x ($4.99) CASE FAN|ROSEWILL RFA-120-RL Here

1 x ($79.99) MB GIGABYTE | GA-MA770T-UD3P AMD770 Here

1 x ($29.99) CASE APEX|PC-389-C Here

1 x ($99.00) CPU AMD|ATH II X4 620 AM3 Here

1 x ($102.99) MEM 2Gx2|OCZ OCZ3G1600LVAM4GK Here

1 x ($84.99) PSU OCZ|OCZ600MXSP 600W Here

1 x ($194.99) VGA SAPPHIRE|100269VXL HD4890 Here

Total upfront cost (includes any combos): $596.31

Total after mail-in rebates: $526.31

I chose the Gigabyte 770 board since I can pretty much bank on the fact I won't be doing a Crossfire configuration (seems to have diminishing returns depending on which game) and that it seems to have a decent track record.

I almost bit on the Asus 4890 ATI card Open Box Special, but decided to blow $20 more to get a brand new Sapphire 4890 (I seriously did some sweating over that decision).

Thanks for the input and commentary. I hope everything turns out golden (as golden at the OCZ ram I ordered). I planned it so the parts should get to me by Friday so I can get the whole upgrade going.... and the ensuing frustration of trouble shooting.

(I'll try to post some benchmarks and maybe some pics once the beast is up and running)

 

[Jovec]

Late to the party....

On my 125w PHII 940, 4870, 8 GB DDR2, 1 HDD, 1 DVD, 3 120mm fans, 1 80mm, 120mm CPU fan - running a 4 core Xvid encode and 2 simultaneous WoW sessions, I read 365 Watts on my Kill-o-Watt. A quality PSU is good, high wattage is over-rated.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: sirelk
I just wanted to give an update. I considered the advice that everyone shared and finally sealed the deal by purchasing the following today:

2 x ($4.99) CASE FAN|ROSEWILL RFA-120-RL Here

1 x ($79.99) MB GIGABYTE | GA-MA770T-UD3P AMD770 Here

1 x ($29.99) CASE APEX|PC-389-C Here

1 x ($99.00) CPU AMD|ATH II X4 620 AM3 Here

1 x ($102.99) MEM 2Gx2|OCZ OCZ3G1600LVAM4GK Here

1 x ($84.99) PSU OCZ|OCZ600MXSP 600W Here

1 x ($194.99) VGA SAPPHIRE|100269VXL HD4890 Here

Total upfront cost (includes any combos): $596.31

Total after mail-in rebates: $526.31

I chose the Gigabyte 770 board since I can pretty much bank on the fact I won't be doing a Crossfire configuration (seems to have diminishing returns depending on which game) and that it seems to have a decent track record.

I almost bit on the Asus 4890 ATI card Open Box Special, but decided to blow $20 more to get a brand new Sapphire 4890 (I seriously did some sweating over that decision).

Thanks for the input and commentary. I hope everything turns out golden (as golden at the OCZ ram I ordered). I planned it so the parts should get to me by Friday so I can get the whole upgrade going.... and the ensuing frustration of trouble shooting.

(I'll try to post some benchmarks and maybe some pics once the beast is up and running)

You bought a 4890?
So much for being a cheapskate...

It's interesting to see you paying $195 for it.
How does a 4890 compare to the new 5850(or whatever the new unreleased ATI card is that will be at the $199 price point)?

 

[sirelk]

Originally posted by: Lothar
You bought a 4890?
So much for being a cheapskate...

It's interesting to see you paying $195 for it.
How does a 4890 compare to the new 5850(or whatever the new unreleased ATI card is that will be at the $199 price point)?

It comes with a $20 mail-in rebate so $174.99 after that.

The Asus 4870 with 1 gig was going for $139.99 (after mail-in rebate) so I splurged $40 bucks on the 4890. And yeah I just read the AT review for the 5850 but I didn't want to wait around for that to hit the market; it looks to be a good upgrade though.

Now.. I did consider the Asus 4870 1 gig open box which was going for $111 (plus shipping) and then the Asus 4890 1 gig open box for $146 (plus shipping). But I decided to get everything new so I'd get all the cords, crossfire bridge, etc.

You could say I splurged almost $60 if you consider I could have gone with the Asus 4870 open box for $111.

Ok... I have just a tiny bit of regret on the $$$ for the 4890, but the rest I'm pretty happy about.

Edit: It seems the 5850 is retailing for $249, that helps lessen the sting.

 

[sirelk]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: sirelk
I'll will continue to use the hd's from my last rig:
Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb (my main drive)
Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb (for storage)

I guess I'm not the only guy using drives from 8 years ago. Do a Sandra read test on these drives (not the file system test) and post how fast they are. You might see huge performance gains by getting a new drive; the cheap 1.5TB drive I bought a few weeks ago can do 150mb/s which is probably more than a RE3 from 8 years ago can do.

This is a delayed post. I did the HDTune bench and here's what I got with my "old" 74 gig raptor.

74gig Raptor

 

[dalewb]

Congrats, fellow cheapskate-running-an-AMD-Athlon-X2-3800-for-4-years-and-now-just-got-around-to-upgrading-it. You may have already read my recent upgrade experience in the "best upgrade experience EVAH" thread - once you get bit by the upgrade bug, it's nigh but impossible to shake off, huh? I installed the whole mess and was playing games within a couple hours of coming home and finding my gear delivered =). Have fun!!

Oh and by the way, to give you a head start on the upgrade-my-hard-drive bug, here's a shot of hd tune on my 300GB WD Velociraptor. Notably, not a mammoth difference from your hd (they're both raptors after all), but still pretty darn good. This is just one of them plugged directly into the motherboard (not some fancy RAID card or anything).

WD VR HD Tune